Steam-boiler.



PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903 G. A. KENNEDY.

STEAM BOILER; APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1902.

xoMopEL.

1; lnnlllllllllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/II UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE A. KENNEDY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

STEAM-BOILER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,153, dated February10, 1903. Application filed March 13, 1902. Serial No. 98,067- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States,residing 'atToledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety AppliancesforSteam- Boilers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a low-Water alarm and fuel cut-offforsteam-boilers heated by hydrocarbon-burners, and has for its objectthe provision'of a safety device by means of which an alarm will besounded when the water in the boiler descends to a certain 'low leveland the supply of fuel to the burner is cut off if, through negligenceor inattention or failure of action of the Water-supplying means, thewater falls to a still lower level, thereby obviating all liability ofinjury to the boiler by the continued application of heat.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the flowof fuel remains cut off until the required amount of water is suppliedto the boiler.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, said invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combination and arrangementof parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, defined in theappended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective View of alow-water alarm and fuel-controllerembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the shell or casingthereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the fuel trap or receptacle. Fig.4is a detail perspective view of the lever and parts of thefuel-controller. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1represents a float casing or shell, which is provided at its upper andlower ends with couplings 2 and 3 for the attachment of pipes connectingsaid shell with the steam and water spaces of a boiler,

and has attached thereto at its upper end an arm 7., which rises andfalls with the float and arm 5, and is adjustably connected at its outerend (as by means of a pin or bolt 8, adapted to engage either one of aseries of openings 9 therein) with the upper end of a controllinglever11, extending vertically on the exterior ofthe shell. The lever 11 isadapted to move in avertical plane and is controlled in its movements bythe float 4, through the instrumentality of the arm 5, rock-shaft 6, andarm 7, and is provided at a suitable point with a laterally-projectingcontact pin or lug 12, cooperating with a strip 13, carried by aninsulated block 14, fixed to the shell 1. The strip 13 preferablyconsists of a curved piece of spring metal and has connected thereto oneend of a conductingwire 15, While attached to the boiler is anotherconducting-wire 16. These wires are designed in practice to be connectedto the ,poles of a battery or other suitable source of electric supplyand to a bell or other suitable signal (not shown) for sounding an alarmwhen the lug 12 contacts with the strip 13 and completes the circuit. Asshown, the conductor 16 is in electrical connection with the shell 1,While the conductor 15 is insulated therefrom by the block 14, so thatnormally thecircuit remains broken, and is completed or established onlywhen the lug 12 contacts with the strip 13, whereupon a current passesthrough the shell or casing and wires and sounds the alarm.

When in the operation of the device the water falls to a certain lowlevel and it is required that the boiler be replenished with water, thedownward movement of the float 4 will cause a corresponding downwardswing of the arm 7 and a downward movement of the lever 11, whereby thelug 12 is brought into contact with the strip 13 and the alarm issounded, thus notifying the engineer or party in charge that the Waterhas fallen to near the danger-point and a further supply of water to theboiler must be furnished.

Suitably connected to the shell or casing 1 or arranged alongside thesame is a fuel receptacle or trap 17, to which are connected pipes 18and 19, one of which is designed to convey fluid hydrocarbon theretofrom a suitable source of supply and the other to conduct thehydrocarbon to aburner, (not shown,) whereby the boiler is heated forthe generation of steam. The pipe 19 projects upward into the trap orreceptacle and is adapted to be closed by a cup-valve 20, carried by anarm 21, mounted to swing upon a rock shaft or stem 22, which shaft orstem carries at its outer end a rock-arm 23. Pivoted to this rocking armis a trip-rod 24, which projects through an eye or hearing 29, swiveledto the trap 17, and is provided at its free end with a friction-roller25, which normally bears against the lever 11 and serves to guide thesame or hold it against movement in one direction. The rod 24 is heldfrom dropping below the horizontal by a lug 26, fixed to the shell 1,and is held from outward movement by a bracket 27, also fixed to saidshell, said bracket having journaled therein a frictionroller 28, whichbears against the side of the lever 11 opposite the friction-roller 25,the two rollers thus serving to cause said lever to rise and fall in asubstantially vertical plane. A spring 29 surrounds the rod 24 andnormally acts to press the same toward the lever 11, which leverprevents the rod from swinging in one direction except when the waterfalls to the danger-point, thereby normally holding the valve 20 open toallow water to flow from the trap or receptacle 17 to the burner.

The lever 11 is provided with an opening 30, which when the lever fallsto the lowest point in its downward movement comes in register with theouter end of the rod 24, whereupon the spring 29 projects or forces therod through said opening and transfers motion to the arm 23 and from thesame to the arm 21 through the medium of the shaft 22 to cause the valve20 to close down on the pipe 19 to cut off the flow of hydrocarbon tothe burner.

In the operation of the device when the water in the boiler falls to apoint approximating the danger point the lug 12 is brought into contactwith the strip 13, sounding the alarm to notify the engineer or party incharge of the level of the water, indicating that the pump or othersupplying device should be set in action to supply a further quantity ofwater to the boiler. If from any cause the further supply of waterrequired is not furnished and the water falls to the danger-point, thelever 11 will be allowed to move downward until the opening 30 comesinto alinement with the outer or free end of the rod 24, which will beforced through said opening by the spring 29, by which thefuelcontrolling connections will be operated to close the valve 20,cutting 0d the How of fuel to the burner. By this means injury to theboiler by the continued application of heat after the water has beenexhausted therefrom or has descended to a very low level will beentirely prevented. The lever 11, as will be readily understood, holdsthe rod 24 retracted against the tension of the spring 29, so as tomaintain the valve 20 in a normally open condition. When the valve 20has been closed in the manner described by reason of the downwardmovement of the. lever 11 through the lowering of the water in theboiler, it will remain in such position until the boiler has beensupplied with water to the desired level, as the connection between thelever and rod forms a lock, preventing the retraction of the parts untilthe upward movement of the float again causes the lever 11 to rise andimpart an upward tilting movement to the rod 24, whereby as the levercontinues to rise said rod is withdrawn from the opening 30. Upon thewithdrawal of the rod from the opening 30 it may be forced down to itsnormal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) in which it rests upon the lug 26and bears against the lever 11, which holds it against movement underthe pressure of the spring 29, thereby maintaining the valve 30 open toallow hydrocarbon to flow to the burner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, mode ofoperation, and advantages of my improved low-water alarm and fuelcut-off will be readily apparent without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a safety device for boilers, the combination with a casing, of afloat therein, suitable electric circuit connections for an alarmdevice, a fuel-controller regulating the flow of fuel to the burner, andcontrolling connections actuated by the float for preliminarily closingsaid circuit connections to operate the alarm and finally operating thefuel-controller to cut off the flow of fuel, substantially as described.

2. In a safety appliance for steam-boilers, the combination with acasing; of a float therein, suitable electric circuit connections for analarm device, a fuel-controller for regulating the supply of fuel to,the burner, a valve for cutting ofi the flow of fuel, a springactuatedmember for closing the valve, and a controlling member actuated by thefloat for completing the circuit and sounding the alarm when the waterfalls to a certain level and tripping said valve-operating member toclose the valve when the water falls to a low level, substantially asspecified.

3. In a safety device for steam-boilers, the combination with a casing;of a float therein, means for supplying a liquid hydrocarbon fuel to aburner, a valve controlling the flow of fuel to the burner, a movablemember operated by the rise and fall of the float, a valve-controllingmember normally held in position to maintain the Valve open by the saidmovable member, and a spring acting on said valve-controlling member forclosing said valve when the movable member is adtion of the float,substantially as set forth.

4. In a safety appliance for boilers, the.

combination of a float-casing, a float therein, fuel-controlling meansincluding a controlling-valve, an arm connected with the valve, arod-operating member attached to the arm, a lever operated by the floatand normally holding the rod in a position in which the valve is openand movable to a predetermined position to allow the rod to bevprojected to close the valve, and a spring for projecting the rod,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. KENNEDY. Witnesses:

H. F. WARREN, H. S. WOODBURY.

